Re: RE: HYB: variegata as a name

It's unfortunate that a most of the earliest names for various Iris color
patterns started out as botanical names, as these all immediately had
double meanings right from the beginning. For instance plicata, amoena,
neglecta, squalens, variegata were all published as species, and should
never have been also used as coloration/pattern class names. If any one of
them was the oldest name for the species to which they were applied, they
would also be the name we have to use for that species. As it is, only
variegata is recognized as the oldest name for a "good" species now, so the
others aren't quite as bad (another good reason to favor "sambucina" for
the proper botanical name for the hybrids of variegata X pallida - as
squalens is used, albeit not much anymore, as a pattern name also).
Imagine if had to use the term "plicata" for the pattern and for the
species I. pallida (for which the name is a botanical/nomenclatural
synonym). Not many I. pallida are plicatas, but if that was the case not
all I. plicata would be plicatas!
As it is, not all I. variegata are variegatas, but nearly all are. Some
lack anthocyanin and others are amoenas or apparently even neglectas. So,
'Reginae' is an amoena I. variegata and 'Amoena' was probably an amoena I.
variegata too.
My mind works a bit differently from whoever used those botanical names for
color patterns, and I would never have done that. Also, I would never have
classed most amoenas, neglectas, and variegatas as if different patterns.
They would have been different color variants of the same pattern if I'd
have done the organizing. Maybe better, maybe not.
Oh well : )
Dave
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